96 UK. G. BEJSTHAM ON 6EAMINEJS. 



flower ; but iu D. Berteroanum I have sometimes fouud two 

 stamens, and iii the evidently nearly allied Z). antarctica, Hook, f., 

 the stamens, though usually three, are sometimes two only. 

 Airidium, Steud., is a species from the Straits of Magellan which 

 I am unable to distinguish from the D. antarctica. Bytidosper- 

 mum, Steud., is founded on specimens of a Deschampsia closely 

 allied to, if not identical with, the common D. C(Sspitosa,in which 

 a grub has taken possession of every spikelet remaining in the 

 panicle, and has been mistaken by Steudel for the caryopsis, and 

 actually described as such. Peyritschia, Fourn., is D. Jccelerioides 

 (Aira Jccelerioides, Peyr.), which I have not seen, but which, from 

 Peyritsch's elaborate description, must be very near to D. ant- 

 arctica, Hook, f., D. nitida, Presl, and D. Jiolciformis, Presl. 



4. AcjiNEEiA, Muuro, contains eight South-African species, 

 with one from south-eastern tropical Africa, referred by Nees to 

 Eriachne, and by Kuuth to Airopsis, but evidently more nearly 

 related to DescTiampsia. 



5. MoNACHTEON, Parlat., is a single species from the Cape- 

 Verd Islands, which we have not at Kew, and of which I have 

 therefore been unable to verify the character given by Parlatore. 

 The specimen he described most probably remained in Webb's 

 herbarium, now deposited at Plorence. 



6. HoLCTJS, Linn., formerly included two very different groups 

 of grasses ; and Brown specially retained Linnteus's name for that 

 one which now forma the genus Sorghum in Andropogonese, 

 whilst all modern botanists restrict the genua Holcus to the other 

 group, consisting of about eight European or African species, 

 chiefly western, of which one or two are common weeds in various 

 parts of the world. All are nearly allied to DescTiampsia, but 

 have the upper flower of each spikelet male with an awned glume, 

 and the lower one unawned and hermaphrodite. Two Spanish 

 species have been added by Boissier, H. grandiflorus and H. cass- 

 pitosm ; but as they have both the flowers liermaphrodite and 

 awned (whence the sectional name Romalachne), they should 

 rather be transferred to Bescliaonpsia, although they may have 

 the peculiar soft habit of the common species of Holcus. 



7. Teisettjm, Pers., is now known to comprise nearly fifty 

 species, ranging over the temperate or mountain regions of both 

 the New and the Old "World. All are very near to the section 

 Avenastriim of Avena, but differ generally in the flowering glume 

 decidedly toothed at the apex, the two teeth often produced into 



